Mario Williams was a poor fit in Rex Ryan’s defensive scheme in Buffalo last season, and he acknowledges that his decreased production coupled with his high salary could lead to his release.
“At the end of the day, if I’m not there, I’ll show you that I’m better than what I’ve been before. Like, that’s just a chip on my shoulder regardless of whether I am there or not, because given the opportunity I’ll get back to what I was,” Williams told ESPN’s Josina Anderson.
Just with those comments Williams is acknowledging the Bills may choose to move on from him. He had just five sacks and 19 tackles last season. In his first three seasons in Buffalo, he had at least 38 tackles and 10.5 sacks in each season.
Williams called out the Bills in October for their defensive strategies which he felt did not maximize the team’s talents (we agreed with him). A teammate said that Williams had totally checked out, and reports have said the Bills plan to cut him.
Even at 31, we still expect Williams to be picked up by another team if the Bills release him. We also expect him to be a very productive player in a different system that better utilizes his talents. Keep in mind he’s only two seasons removed from registering a career-best 15 sacks.
